Commentary on Attorney General v. Dallas
[2012] Crim LR 696
2 Pages Posted: 17 Oct 2012
Date Written: 2012
Abstract
This case note considers Attorney General v Dallas, in which the defendant was found guilty of criminal contempt, for conducting research on a case (which is strictly prohibited) for which she was serving as a member of the jury. The commentary discusses the effectiveness of the prohibition on jurors undertaking their own research, and efforts to enforce it, before questioning whether the statements prepared by other members of the jury for the purposes of the contempt proceedings were received by the court in breach of s 8 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981, which protects the confidentiality of jury deliberations.
Keywords: committal for contempt, contempt of court, internet, jurors, jury deliberations, jury directions, Attorney General v Fraill, Contempt of Court Act 1981, confidentiality of jury deliberations
JEL Classification: K14, K40, K42
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation